Cheshire East

Cheshire East's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in health and housing tenure.

The population passed 370,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Cheshire East increased by 5.2%, from almost 352,000 to 370,000.

The addition of just over 18,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Cheshire East was home to, on average, 2.3 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was lower than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Health improved

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's well-being.

The percentage of Cheshire East residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.2% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (82%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Cheshire East residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21% to 13%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the North West. The improvement brought health in Cheshire East close to the national average 5.5% in England described their health as good in 2011).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Cheshire East decreased by 3.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Cheshire East, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Cheshire East that rented privately increased from 7.0% to 13% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11%) households lived in social housing, compared with 13% in 2001. The percentage of Cheshire East households that owner their home decreased from 78% to 74%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a slower rate here than the figure for the whole of the North West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Cheshire East increased by 5.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Cheshire East, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Cheshire East working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 14% to 11% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.0%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.9% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Cheshire East decreased by 2.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Cheshire East, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More homes without children

The percentage of households without children increased in Cheshire East, but at a slower rate than in nearby Staffordshire Moorlands.

In Cheshire East, the proportion of households without children increased from 61% in 2001 to 62% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Staffordshire Moorlands increased from 59% to 63%.

Across the North West, the share of households without children increased from 59% to 61%.

The proportion of households with children in Cheshire East fell from 29% to 28%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 9.7%.

The proportion of households without children was higher than across the North West

Percentage of households that without children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Ethnicity in Cheshire East

The number of people in Cheshire East from the White ethnic groups increased from about 350,000 in 2001 to just under 360,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 98% to 97%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the North West (from 94% to 90%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Cheshire East from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 2,900 in 2001 to just under 6,100 in 2011 (from 0.8% to 1.6%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 2,100 to just under 3,900 (from 0.6% to 1.1%).

Just over 1,400 people (0.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just over 710 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Cheshire East decreased by 1.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Cheshire East by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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